New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-17

turning Thereafter watch signals run s"SsAR e. e.
but be positively Indicated from hassp on nrs Gun
By this time couple Of excursion steamers
With decks Hack with spectators, had reached the
6ciohborhood of the lightship and then stopped 10
auait DEVELOPMENTS. From the way they roilea
IL WIS evident that for many on board the dcVei-
opments would be of a character that "ouiu
effcctually preclude them from taking any III,
terest in the race. But for the rest tbere "ouiu
he no need TO patroDize the lar because OF lack
of external excitement. The Atalanta and hair
dozen steam yachts lowered about the racers put
no sailing yachts were in sight. Inc weather
was of character TO make their owners feel more
comfortable when they were repoSing safely In
some sheltered anchorage.
THE RACE UNDER WAY.
At 1890 n gun is fired from the flagship ana
A signal I'D. Pr hoistcd. indicating that tne
course will be as stated in the Cup Conini'U
missives southeast by south. The yachts "o''
responsive sirnals, showing TINT they nave r.a"
the mystic letters on the hagsh'p' linen ''0
stanch Haviland runs away 10 LOG OIL the zen
miles. southeast by south from the starting hhe
between the Electra and the Scotland lIghtsnip'
The Thistle HOSTS her working toisi'ii' one u"'
her diney towing astern and another boat s"ihs-
Ing from her davits. She doesn't mean 10 uS
conclusions with the other yachts on even terms
II is noticed that the after leach OF the Voiuh-
teer's mainsail is taut; making the mainsall
trife baggy Her club tOpsail flaps too. Inc
Mayfowers sails are fiat rs cards
At IL O'clock precisely lady from the ofiagc
Of the Electra presses the electric button which
fires the gun on the Electra to roar forth the
welcome message that the yachts are TO prepare
10 start The Volunteer and MayfOweI stand in
toward Sandy Hook on the starboard side. Inc
Thistle some distance ahead of the starting lhe
gets out her spnnal<er. boom to port and begins
running after the Havland, which is makins
frantic haste to log off the ten miles, ana getung
well soused by the spray as she breaks through
the
The Volunteer comes about at IL: O9, drops ner
spipnaker boom TO port and runs for the startins
line with her srnnaler up In stops: Inc MA!
flower follows suit. At 11:1O the starun" gun 10
fred, and almost simultaneously the 'oiun' ,1a
breaks out her immense spinnaker; and with 'ne
speed Of "a baseball layer on the home run she
PUSHES toward the starting line. toot OF the
whistle on the Electra indicates that she croSseu
IL at 11:ll:57. The Mayhower. which has Dc
fore set her spinnaker, goes over at il'l4:44'
2 minutes and AZ seconds after the volunteer
Now the race has begun in earnest Inc May
flower has elected TO make stern chase oil III.
The Volunteers narrow, cockcd-up stern has
saucy look. Fleet indeed, must be the boat
that can catch up with it. The Maybower'
realizing the hard task that is before her. breaks
ont her ba loon topsail to starboard. The Voiuh-
tcer follows with her famous silk balloon Jlb Top
sail Now both yachts are tearing along before
the wind with every stitch of canvas that can
be crowded on them. There is abundance Vi
wind to In it, and they pull as though they
would pull the masts out of them. Seen from
the rear they appear like small patches OF wmte
beneath towering masses of canvas. 1hey SAIL
on almost even keel, the sails TO port ana star
board nearly balancing one another
Three Iigcons are flung of from the Electra
to convey the news of the start TO New-1ork; ana
the pigeon man rejoccs when he observes that
from fba
has taken refuge on the Grand Republic, pre-
ferring that safe and sure, IL slower. means OF
transportation to the eXertiOn OF its own wings
The Electra hOists anchor and is after the
flyers When she draws up even with them
their aspect changes They might be compared
to some gigantic insect with enormous wings ana
long, lean body. 1t is wonderful how smoothly
they go through the water. yet OF spray spurts
ont from either side of the bow where it slices
into the and is lost in the burrows OF loan
that take their rise further aft, just forward OF
the mast The thick smoke ascending from the
Haviland shows that she is being pushed hard IN
keep ahead of them, and the faithful Neils Olsen,
the New York Yacht Club steward. who is on
board in charge, gets many dueixing as she
goes bursting through the seas.
:,4aM WIsTLE JOINS IN.
At 1897 tho Volunteer passes the Thistle.
The latter's spinnaber boom is out, but the
spinnaker has not yet been set. People wish that
she would set it and try brush with the Volun-
teer. But a minute goes by, she shows no signs
of it. and the Volunteer draws rapidly away
from her. and the Mayfower begins TO close upon
her.
But hurrahl here it comes. The Thistle in
tends to show what she can do running before
the wind Coming out Of the fore hatch like
o snake, line of white crawIs rapidly up to the
topmast head. Then it breaks into folds OF
snowy whiteness, and the tack is hauled out to
fba md of fba e-in aker hoom is I'M
and bellies out Like segment Of balloon. Its
Immaculate wilderness shows in striking contrast
to the dust-colored silk balloon lib Of the YOlun-
teer. 1t is whittier than the Thistie's own main
sail The Thistle has now set mainsail. working
topsail, fOrestaysail, jb, baby iib topsail and
spinnaker 1t is a good deal smaller spread OF
canvas than either OF the other yachts has, and
the canny Scotchmen know that ii they can hold
their own, or nearly that, under it. they may with
some assurance expect to beat them with larger
spread OF sail.
The Volunteer draws away from the Thistle,
but not by much. At 1854 she takes in her
spinnaker and let's her big balloon iib topsai do
ell the pulling. minute later the MayliOwer
follows suit Perhaps it is a precautionary meas
ure to guard against the topmasts cracking, for
it is hard to conceive how such slender spars
long Withstand such a strain. At l:57 the
Thistle hauls in her spinna1cr 1t is useless TO
risk spars when not actually racing. The Thistle
has now no balloon sails and drops behind. PEG lie
watching her from the Electra observe with salts
faction that she makes more fuss than does either
of the other two yachts aud seems t. yaw a good
deal. But they observe with apprehension her
apparent ability TO get there all the same when
pushed.
The breeze fresbens, and moro foam gathers
the crests of the waves At noon the balloon jib
topsail Of the ayhower splits from top to bottom
A line of tatters hutters from the stay and the
rest Of the sail drops into the water, whence
il is rescued by the crew. The Ma, flower hauls
down the line Of tatters and baby jb topsai.
Everybsdy regrets the accident. IL places her at
q disadvantage as compared with the Volunteer.
which she IS chasing so hotiy But the dsadyant-
age doesn't last long. General Paine. actuated per-
haps by a spirit of chIvalry. but more likely
by tender regard FOR his famous silk balloon jib
on even terms Indeet, the Mayfower has some
thing the advantage. for the Volunteer does not
m nj